Month: January 2019

A Series of Firsts: My First Time Back in Chicago

A Series of Firsts: My First Time Back in Chicago

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View of the Lake & the IC. Taken by me, Dec. 10 2018.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I came back to start my second semester of Sophomore year, and before coming, I was excited about coming back. Getting to see my friends after a month, living with the best roommate I could have asked for (shoutout to Devashree for putting up with me), being in the Second City again. Yes, I had missed all of this and was excited to see my past professors and going to my new classes, learning something new every day. However, after I landed in Chicago the day before the semester started, I felt out of the loop: I didn’t know what to do next, I wasn’t able to say “Thank you, next!” In reality, I had forgotten how it takes time for me to get used to a new routine.

It was just like this a year ago, when I was still a First Year. At the end of my first semester, I had every single day planned out, and I knew what I had to do at what time of the day in order to stay on track with my To-Do List, and my back-up To-Do List as well. I had gotten used to wearing layers so that I wouldn’t be cold when I went out, but so that I wouldn’t be warm inside. I had figured out my work-out schedule, and I was making enough time for my extracurriculars and spending time with friends. And then, Finals Week hit me like a truck, and Winter Break was upon me. Right when I started feeling like I had gotten the hang of living in Chicago, I was on a plane back to my home, Guatemala. And I was so glad I was, as I got the chance to spend the Holiday Season with my loved ones, and with beautiful weather (cue “White Christmas” but change “White” to “Warm”). I was back home, up high in the mountains, and I didn’t want to come back down. But I did, and once again, as I started getting used to my old life, living with my parents and sister, walking around Antigua with nothing but a light jacket, and seeing my friends, I had to head back to Chi-Town.

Once back in Chicago, I realized how I had to adapt my routine to the New Year (you know what they say: New Year, New Me). And I took that very seriously. You see, that’s the thing I’ve learned about college: your life as you know it is temporary. However, it is the fact that things are fleeting that makes life exciting. I had no idea what that semester would bring to me: I attended my first Women’s March the weekend; I celebrated Chinese New Year in China Town; I went on my first ABI to East St. Louis and got to meet some of the nicest people there; I witnessed the Chicago River turn green for St. Patrick’s day; I saw Loyola’s basketball team beat the odds and get to the NCAA’s Final Four; I enjoyed the first days of Summer in Chicago; and most importantly, I made some of the closest friendships I have to this day. I had none of these things planned, and many of them definitely did not fit my detailed-to-the-hour schedule. But it was during this semester that I got to enjoy the little surprises that setbacks might bring.

Every semester is going to look very different from the rest, whether that be classes, extracurriculars, service work, or what I do in my leisure time. However, I’ve come to see the good side of this: every semester, I get the chance to start anew, to make the changes that I need to make myself feel more comfortable in Chicago and to give my time here a direction, and to enjoy the little things that come along.  I’ve come to realize that it’s important that I focus on my semester only, and not compare it to anyone else’s. This experience is mine, and I have to learn to enjoy it like I want it, not like I think others want me to.

Now, with the Polar Vortex having hit Chicago, with classes being cancelled, I feel once again a little out of place, without a routine to follow. As I write this, I have set myself the goal to take these couple of days to reflect on what I want for this semester: what I want to learn, the people I want to spend time with, the places I want to visit, and the goals I want to accomplish. Every break we get as college students, whether that be due to holiday or to inclement weather, is a chance to look back at what you’ve achieved so far, and what you’re looking to do once the storm passes.

What do you want to achieve this semester?

Shifts in Body Image

Shifts in Body Image

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How crazy is it that the idea of body image has shifted tremendously throughout the years? But, what even is this idea of body image? Body image is a person’s perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about his or her body.  It includes how these feelings are affected by exogenous and endogenous factors, and how these feelings subsequently affect behavior.

At first, body image issues revolved around women with eating disorders and women who were concerned with their weight. It is known that research on eating disorders led to research on body image. This, of course, suffered many consequence such as

  • Body image limited to women
  • People with eating disorders
  • Only pertains to body weight and shape

Body image is such a vast topic and has problems and effects such as:

  • Effects of specific physical characteristics
  • Physical appearance in diverse contexts (cross cultural)
  • Physical appearance/body image in medical and allied fields (medical conditions, cosmetic/reconstructive surgery)
  • Factors that affect positive and negative body image across the lifespan (aging)
  • Social media effects, neurological effects (unrealistic standards)

It’s crazy to see how quickly ideas about the ‘ideal’ body image have changed across time periods. A lot of times it went hand and hand with the fashion sense of the time. In Egypt, women were seen as equal and were typically slim. From the middle ages through the renaissance period, a number of images suggest that fleshiness and a fuller female figure was the ideal. What I typically think of is a portrait of Aphrodite. Then, it began to shift quickly. Here is a run down of some time periods that really captured the ideals:

  1. 1800s: butt enhancers worn under dress and corsets, narrow waist
    1. late 1800s – full bustle in the back
  2. 1920s: loose dresses, short hair, less emphasis on curves
  3. 1950s: fitted dresses and skirts come back to show off hips
  4. 1960s: mini skirts and bikinis- thin ideal returns –> eating disorders increase
  5. 1980s: thin and FIT
  6. 1990s: boyish – super thin returns

Body image issues lends itself a lot to many eating disorders, self consciousness, body shame, and other critical components. Loyola is offering a Body Image Lab and discusses a lot of the issues in this particular topic. It is definitely a fascinating class, and I 100% recommend you all to take it if you would like to learn more about the historical context of this transition as well as create your own research in this field!

Cold Weather Hits Chicago

Cold Weather Hits Chicago

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As many of you may know, Loyola never cancels classes. At least for the 4 years I have been here, not once did any amount of snow or low temperature stop Loyola from holding classes. However, one of the coldest air masses will hit the Midwest this week. The temperature in Chicago is predicted to fall to record and dangerous lows on Wednesday. After seeing a high of about 34 degrees today (Monday), it will shortly drop to zero and Wednesday is expected to drop to -23 degrees, this is a record compared to the year 1985, dropping to a low of -27.

The lows Tuesday and Wednesday could break records set in 1966. They’ll also feel much worse with wind gusts up to 30 mph, which will make it feel as low as negative 50 degrees, according to the weather service. But there could be as much as a 30-degree disparity from the north to the south end of the state, while lakefront communities could get a small reprieve, but that largely depends on how much ice cover there is on Lake Michigan.

Loyola faculty is monitoring the forecast over the next 24 hours, and they plan to notify the campus community of any potential class schedule changes or cancellations by 2 p.m. on Tuesday. This is a big deal for Loyola students, as this never really happens. 

The weather on Wednesday will be very dangerous, and it is important that all individuals take caution. Be sure to wear layers of clothes, cover exposed skin, be outside as less as possible, stay dry, and avoid alcohol and caffeine. These beverages interfere with the normal physiological defense against cold and can actually increase heat loss.

With a wind chill of -18°F to -35°F, frostbite can occur in 10 to 30 minutes if skin is exposed. Please be safe and stay warm!

Such a ‘Bler: My First Playwriting Assignment

Such a ‘Bler: My First Playwriting Assignment

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Playwriting is perhaps the theatrical class I had been most excited to take since I declared my Theatre minor. This is however, also a course that I feel equally anxious about. This is because I am a writer at heart, I am very rusty after taking more design-based courses in my first 3 semesters here, and in general lack theatrical knowledge in comparison to my peers who have been deeply surrounded by theatre their whole lives. Nevertheless, I am passionate and pumped to grow!

Our first writing assignment made me smile – frankly because it was fun, but also because it was exactly what I needed. We were asked to record a conversation between two other people, that had to be at least five minutes – equivalent to five script pages- long, and then transcribed it precisely. This meant every pause and stutter, no matter how odd had to be recorded accordingly. Our professor stressed the importance of this, even if it meant uncomfortable punctuation and grammar because that is just how people really talk!

I appreciated this because I’ve never been too great with dialogue if I must confess. This exercise really put me into perspective with the rawness needed to write good dialogue, or at least one pertaining to the naturalistic and realistic spectrum of theatre.

You could say this is a pretty good start and that this writer is ecstatic for an adventurous semester. Wish me luck!

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS!

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST:

Such a ‘Bler: Career Week 2019! | My Summer Internship Hunt! (Part 2)

Such a ‘Bler: Career Week 2019! | My Summer Internship Hunt! (Part 2)

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 I walked in this Tuesday with my bright mustard yellow resume and interactive online portfolio. I was confident – I had been prepping for this review all Summer after learning from the previous year’s Career Week Workshops. However, I knew there was much left to learn.

The extravagance began with a panel discussion on good business writing and other crucial things to keep in mind when striving to put your best foot forward. The three guest speakers were informative, funny and inspiring. I can honestly say that I’ve even met the individual I hope I will have the honor to mentor me. But I got his card (!) and also gave out my business card for the first time – it was a very official conversation.

The next day continued with the circulation of our resumes through a group of professionals both from the more corporate and creative world. I also ran them through my website, or online portfolio and it was interesting to see the different insights. Overall, I need to be more specific with my information according to each desired internship, but my overall brand received many thumbs up!

The Career Week finishes with a a Networking Night and Job Fair but I am already learning so much and feel much more confident after 2 evenings. I can honestly not thank the School of Communications and Quinlan School of Business enough for such a helpful string of events.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to have my complimentary headshot taken and get my Linkedin ready.

Here’s my freshman photo from last year’s Career Week:

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS!

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST:

 

Such a ‘Bler: Theology 107 with an Agnostic Atheist

Such a ‘Bler: Theology 107 with an Agnostic Atheist

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I was born and raised in Vietnam. A large part of our country’s population is Buddhist. However, though the majority of the rest do follow the religion’s practices, they are in fact not Buddhist. This was the case for my family. Around sophomore year of high school, I deemed myself as an Agnostic Atheist. So what, you may ask, am I doing as a undergraduate sophomore in a Jesuit Institute?

This exact question revisited my mind on the first day of Theology 107 – Introduction to Religion Studies. I’ll be honest and say that my university background check was quite poor during the application process. However, I have never once regretted my decision about Loyola – and especially regarding this aspect. I have never felt cornered or discriminated for my religious affiliation or bothered by those of my peers.

Although I still look down grinning to myself half the time when I hear something my Agnostic mind can’t comprehend, I do appreciate the myriad of new perspectives. It’s comforting to know that though there are so many ways the heart has chosen to believe the universe came about, we are still able to celebrate it all together.

I’m only two weeks into the course and I still have a lot to learn but I do hope courses like these come as informative to others as it is currently coming to me. Then maybe we’ll smile at the floor less and at one another more.

I’ll keep you posted. Keep believing.

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS!

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST:

Addressing Mental Health on Campus

Addressing Mental Health on Campus

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Mental health refers to our cognitive, behavioral, and emotional wellbeing – it is all about how we think, feel, and behave. Mental health can affect daily life, relationships, and even physical health. Mental health also includes a person’s ability to enjoy life – to attain a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.

It is not possible to reliably tell whether someone is developing a mental health problem; however, if certain signs appear in a short space of time, it may offer clues:

  • Withdrawing from people or activities they would normally enjoy.
  • Sleeping or eating too much or too little.
  • Feeling as if nothing matters.
  • Consistently low energy.
  • Using drugs more than normal (including alcohol and nicotine).
  • Displaying uncharacteristic emotions.
  • Confusion.
  • Not being able to complete standard tasks, such as getting to work or cooking a meal.
  • Persistent thoughts or memories that reappear regularly.
  • Thinking of harming one’s self or others.
  • Hearing voices.
  • Delusions.

Almost 1 in 5 Americans experiences mental health problems each year (18.5 percent). In the United States, in 2015, an estimated 9.8 million adults (over 18) had a serious mental disorder. That equates to 4.8 percent of all American adults.

A large proportion of the people who have a mental disorder have more than one.

In the U.S. and much of the developed world, mental disorders are one of the leading causes of disability.

Mental health is subject to some disorders such as anxiety, phobia, OCD, PTSD, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, etc.

To address mental health on Campus, Loyola will be holding a circle session on campus!

3:30-5:00pm | Tuesday, January 22
Regis Hall, Multi-Purpose Room
Co-Sponsored by Student Government of Loyola Chicago, and featuring the Wellness Center

Individuals will meet and gather in a circle. Circles are a restorative justice practice that foster open dialogue, honesty, and attentive listening. Circles are a way to build and sustain communities based on authenticity, honesty, and empathy. They may also be used to provide healing and closure after a difficult group experience.

Privacy is a crucial component of the OSCCR. All information shared through mediation or other conflict resolution services will be kept private, with two exceptions: 1) If there is mention of a serious violation of the Community Standards or law, a staff member would be required to act upon this information as appropriate and to ensure the safety of the community. 2) If a staff member becomes aware that someone may be in danger of serious, imminent harm, they would be required to address the situation as appropriate to ensure the safety of the community.

Such a ‘Bler: My Summer Internship Hunt! (Part 1)

Such a ‘Bler: My Summer Internship Hunt! (Part 1)

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One of my top goals for this semester is to land a good internship to explore this Summer! Over Winter break, I’ve been crafting my resume and doing extensive online research for them. So far, I have 3 theatres in mind!

During the first week back, I also sat down with my theatre advisor to discuss recommendation letters and my current plans. It’s always so nice to chat with her to make sure I am going in the right direction. With all our theatre professors being heavily and extendedly involved in the Chicago Theatre scene, I know I’m in good hands. Currently, it looks like I’m in a pretty good place so let’s keep our fingers crossed. I’m also quite sure about my current choices for application but the School of Communications’ Career Week is also right around the corner!

I am a Communications Studies major with minors in Theatre and Creative Writing so there are honestly A LOT of options and I’m super excited to discover even more beyond my online hunt during Career week!  With this combination, it is also a tad more difficult for me to craft a fitting resume for my myriad of interests and involvement so the workshops the Career Week is provided will come in handy! I’m buzzing – let’s go let’s go let’s go!!!

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS!

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST:

Such a ‘Bler: Spring 2019 Student Organization Fair!

Such a ‘Bler: Spring 2019 Student Organization Fair!

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With a new semester comes a whole new Student Organization Fair! This is a showcase of the student organizations currently active at Loyola in hopes to spark student interests and provide mediums for exploration outside daily academics. I was back again with the e-board of Diminuendo Literary and Arts Magazine. I am currently the AD/PR Chair and am super psyched for what this semester’s got in stored!

We are Loyola University Chicago’s longest running Student Literary and Arts Magazine. We curates, edit together and then publish two issues of student literary and visual art each year! Our editorial staff includes three main committees – AD/PR, Tech and Design and Digital Media. On top of that, we have two co-presidents, a treasurer and secretary. Our most recent issue is said to be our best and most competitive one yet, so I was pumped to encourage even more submissions for the next!

In between my enthusiastic speels, I roamed Gentile Arena for any possible new adventures. I always try to do a round in case there are any new organizations or if I suddenly decide to finally pick Soccer back up. I’ve been to every one since my freshman year, and there is at least 5 new ones each time! There honestly is something for everyone. I highly recommend passing by even for a short stroll because that’s where I found Diminuendo Fall of Freshman year and I have been so grateful ever since!

This e-board is excited for a brand new explosive issue! Our Fall 2018 issue can be found at Connection’s Café in the IC and on our website: diminuendoluc.com.

Stay tuned and most importantly, try something new this semester!

 

HEY, I ALSO MAKE VIDEOS!

HERE’S THE SUCH A ‘BLER PLAYLIST:

Last First Day as a Rambler

Last First Day as a Rambler

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How bittersweet, the time has come, where it will officially be my last first day of my undergraduate career. It seems as if just yesterday I was a Freshman entering with no clue how to handle college level classes, making my way to different buildings and commuting almost an hour and half everyday. Also not knowing what you’re truly passionate for is something so challenging during the first few years of Undergrad and is something I personally struggled with. Today, I stand confident during my senior year, and finishing strong.

Something I told myself this winter break, was to not let senioritis get the best of me. As hard as that is, I feel confident that I will hold strong till the end. I recommend you all to do the same, whether you are a senior or not. Make a plan for this semester and aim high.

Some stuff that I do to make sure that I am on track is put down all my important dates on the calendar for this semester. That includes quizzes, labs, exams, papers, etc. The first week, that is what I primarily focus on because I know if I push it any later, I most likely will get caught behind, or just won’t do it because I will be so busy. Doing this, REALLY put me in the zone and got me to do stuff on time, especially studying for exams on time and not cramming when I realize I have more than 1 exam in a week or day. Include all of your finals slots. Yes its in 15 weeks, but it will definitely help you half way through the semester when you definitely WON’T do it.

Another thing I do is calculate my cumulative GPA. I know. So unnecessary. But no, really. Do this under https://www.luc.edu/advising/gpa_calculator.shtml and it will help you so much! I used to never do this my first two years, but now I do this in the beginning of each semester. The reason I do this is because I set a goal cumulative and/or overall GPA I would like based on this semester and figure out what grade I need in the class. Obviously, you should aim for an A always, but if I ever feel like I am falling into a B category, I kind of freak myself out and tell myself I won’t get a certain GPA and it makes me work hard for the A. It also kind of helps to not beat yourself up over a grade. It may not work for everyone, but I think it definitely makes me realize how I need to work for the A and to not slack off during the middle of the semester.

Additionally, I have told myself to incorporate more social time. A lot of times, I struggled with social time, where I would have too much, or too little. I definitely want to focus on balancing the two so that it doesn’t become a stressful semester and I can enjoy the last bit of memories I have left here at Loyola.

Make the most out of every semester, whether you’re a Freshman or a Junior. Take the endless snapchats, create study groups, explore the city, force yourself to go the library, let yourself get a bag of chips and watch Netflix. Whatever it may be, just try to do some of the things I suggest, it definitely will help rather hurt you.